p.12 #1 · Z8 extremely unreliable/inconsistent AF in mildly low light
jlafferty wrote:
“Dark” or black? I’m starting to get confused as I thought we were talking “mildly” low light in this thread. Are you also underexposing?
When using proper settings for flash you're always underexposing - often badly - for the subject under ambient light only. So if my camera is set to get a proper exposure with flash, and I turn the flash off but don't adjust the settings, I get an underexposed image which reveals how much ambient light there will be in the image once flash is turned on.
The evf is set to adjust for ease of viewing, so exposure doesn't matter as regards to focus.
p.12 #3 · Z8 extremely unreliable/inconsistent AF in mildly low light
SCoombs wrote:
Did you see the extensive list of quotes I offered from others reporting the same behavior? There are also the video demonstrating the behavior that have been shared from another user.
Have you tried reproducing this behavior yourself in similar lighting and, apparently crucially, at similar distances? Let me putbitbthisnway: it's a lot easier for a few considerate people out there to, for no cost, take 5 minutes to try to duplicate the behavior in similar conditions than it is for me to spend money and be without a camera for several weeks to send it to Nikon when I'm not seeing anything different from what many other users have already reportedI.
Snapsy put his camera in the same lighting and distance I was shooting in and has seen the same results. I'd really encourage others to try the same....Show more →
I did see your list, and a similar list of anecdotes can be complied for any camera or lens out there after a brief google search. I also see lots of OOF images in threads featuring $30,000 gear combinations from every brand out there. You've also been presented with similar lists with descriptions of the camera excelling in the areas you are having trouble with. I think the crucial point you are missing is that nobody has a magical camera - barring defective hardware, if someone has proven that a normally functioning camera does not have an issue in a certain scenario, then it doesn't. There isn't any significant sample variation with camera bodes. If you or anyone is having confirmed issues in a scenario that the overwhelming majority is not, then you should be talking to Nikon.
Yes I have been in the generic shooting scenario described in your OP countless times with zero issues. I can tell you for sure that neither my Z9 or Z8 I have access to misses focus with similar lighting and distance to where you seem to be experiencing the issue, even at very wide apertures like F1.8. In fact the cameras perform very well in situations so unfavorable that I would forgive them for having very low hit rates, either with people or other subjects.
The issues you are describing seem to be AF failures (I believe you stated less than 30% hit rate) in bog-standard situations where a 10 year old DSLR would have no problem let alone a MILC with state of the art AF. Situations where most others don't seem to be experiencing any issues and that have not come up as widespread issues in nearly a year of the camera being on the market, or much longer than that if you consider the Z9 is using the identical AF system. Situations that the camera was specifically praised for by professional reviewers. Given how many folks are using the Z8/Z9 for people photography, and in challenging situations (events, weddings, etc.), any widespread issues would have long been discovered. Nikon is highly sensitive to even minor issues and seems willing to release a voluntary service advisory for just about anything these days.
In another thread you described lots of misses when the AF wasn't even really doing anything (slow perpendicular movement) - that is not normal and it's not exactly a stretch to assume something is wrong with your camera body if it is failing in those basic scenarios. Again, if you are confident this is not a settings or technique issue, would have sent my camera in a long time ago or at least rented/borrowed another one to see if I was still having the issue. Nothing you are going to read here at this point is going to all of a sudden increase your hit rate by a factor of 3.
I think another important point to make is that nobody here is nobody here is making up stories with the purpose of defending their brand as someone very oddly suggested earlier. We are trying to help, and at some point you need to consider that defective hardware is a possibility. People saying they do not experience the issue are not automatically lying in some grand conspiracy to feel better about themselves, that is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever read on here - I know you didn't make that comment but hopefully you aren't buying into that garbage. I genuinely hope you get this sorted out whether it ends up being something silly or whether you have to go through the warranty process. The longer this thread gets you seem to be having more and more problems and I can barely keep up - I would at least open a dialogue with Nikon.
p.12 #4 · Z8 extremely unreliable/inconsistent AF in mildly low light
This.
CanadaMark wrote:
I did see your list, and a similar list of anecdotes can be complied for any camera or lens out there after a brief google search. I also see lots of OOF images in threads featuring $30,000 gear combinations from every brand out there. You've also been presented with similar lists with descriptions of the camera excelling in the areas you are having trouble with. I think the crucial point you are missing is that nobody has a magical camera - barring defective hardware, if someone has proven that a normally functioning camera does not have an issue in a certain scenario, then it doesn't. There isn't any significant sample variation with camera bodes. If you or anyone is having confirmed issues in a scenario that the overwhelming majority is not, then you should be talking to Nikon.
Yes I have been in the generic shooting scenario described in your OP countless times with zero issues. I can tell you for sure that neither my Z9 or Z8 I have access to misses focus with similar lighting and distance to where you seem to be experiencing the issue, even at very wide apertures like F1.8. In fact the cameras perform very well in situations so unfavorable that I would forgive them for having very low hit rates, either with people or other subjects.
The issues you are describing seem to be AF failures (I believe you stated less than 30% hit rate) in bog-standard situations where a 10 year old DSLR would have no problem let alone a MILC with state of the art AF. Situations where most others don't seem to be experiencing any issues and that have not come up as widespread issues in nearly a year of the camera being on the market, or much longer than that if you consider the Z9 is using the identical AF system. Situations that the camera was specifically praised for by professional reviewers. Given how many folks are using the Z8/Z9 for people photography, and in challenging situations (events, weddings, etc.), any widespread issues would have long been discovered. Nikon is highly sensitive to even minor issues and seems willing to release a voluntary service advisory for just about anything these days.
In another thread you described lots of misses when the AF wasn't even really doing anything (slow perpendicular movement) - that is not normal and it's not exactly a stretch to assume something is wrong with your camera body if it is failing in those basic scenarios. Again, if you are confident this is not a settings or technique issue, would have sent my camera in a long time ago or at least rented/borrowed another one to see if I was still having the issue. Nothing you are going to read here at this point is going to all of a sudden increase your hit rate by a factor of 3.
I think another important point to make is that nobody here is nobody here is making up stories with the purpose of defending their brand as someone very oddly suggested earlier. We are trying to help, and at some point you need to consider that defective hardware is a possibility. People saying they do not experience the issue are not automatically lying in some grand conspiracy to feel better about themselves, that is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever read on here - I know you didn't make that comment but hopefully you aren't buying into that garbage. I genuinely hope you get this sorted out whether it ends up being something silly or whether you have to go through the warranty process. The longer this thread gets you seem to be having more and more problems and I can barely keep up - I would at least open a dialogue with Nikon....Show more →
p.12 #5 · Z8 extremely unreliable/inconsistent AF in mildly low light
ingekj wrote:
"Money on the table" my god.. What youre trying to say is that you got a twenty for doing some wedding photos for your friends. Just about as credible a claim as what youre coming up with. Where is the stats backing what youre talking about?
That’s pretty funny. I am not interesting in squabbling like school kids, but look at the link to my profile if you want to know what my work is… It’s not $20 weddings 🤪.
And on that note, I’m trying to recall how to block some people here.
p.12 #6 · Z8 extremely unreliable/inconsistent AF in mildly low light
You’ve been complaining about the Z8/Z9 for some time
You started out with a thread saying that you get better pictures out of your D850.
Another thread where you’re having issues with flash and the Z8.
Now focus in low light.
You have issues with lenses too. 180-600 and the 200-500 weren’t good enough for you.
Maybe it’s your expectations of the system or there’s an issue with your camera?
p.12 #7 · Z8 extremely unreliable/inconsistent AF in mildly low light
SCoombs wrote:
The differences between this thread and the now two dpreview threads is pretty stark. Here many people are increasingly piling on aggressively and starting to throw insults around whereas over there most are either "my Z8 does this too," expressing thanks to snapsy for taking the time to explore this, or suggesting other ideas for trying to get more information out of testing.
Yes I find this interesting.
The other week I was having similar issues with video focusing on a Z8, got almost 100% useful replies on DPR, while here it became a sh!t-show - thanks to the usual suspects.
My, times have changed.
p.12 #9 · Z8 extremely unreliable/inconsistent AF in mildly low light
sungphoto wrote:
I worked in advertising for 12 years at global ad and creative agencies, working on the largest brands in the world, before going freelance as a photographer about 10 years ago in NY.
I've worked on both sides of the lens, production, media, marketing and strategy and have been the client hiring on photographers for global campaigns. Generally pro photographers I know/work with either shoot Canon or Nikon for 35mm, whether it's folks I've hired in the New York, California, Singapore, London, Hong Kong, etc.
p.12 #10 · Z8 extremely unreliable/inconsistent AF in mildly low light
ingekj wrote:
"Money on the table" my god.. What youre trying to say is that you got a twenty for doing some wedding photos for your friends. Just about as credible a claim as what youre coming up with. Where is the stats backing what youre talking about?
Take a peek at his website. Seems like he knows what he’s talking about. What about you?
p.12 #11 · Z8 extremely unreliable/inconsistent AF in mildly low light
ronno wrote:
That’s pretty funny. I am not interesting in squabbling like school kids, but look at the link to my profile if you want to know what my work is… It’s not $20 weddings 🤪.
And on that note, I’m trying to recall how to block some people here.
Nice work. I love the Capri, Positano, and Amalfi Coast images and video. One of my Wife and my favorite Summer places when on our annual family trip to Italy.
p.12 #13 · Z8 extremely unreliable/inconsistent AF in mildly low light
1bwana1 wrote:
Nice work. I love the Capri, Positano, and Amalfi Coast images and video. One of my Wife and my favorite Summer places when on our annual family trip to Italy.
Annual family trip – that is living! Well done there.
And thanks.
p.12 #14 · Z8 extremely unreliable/inconsistent AF in mildly low light
sungphoto wrote:
It’s all over FM. You’d notice that if you did more than troll
Yeh, I got a lot posted here as well…but where’s your website. I’ve seen Ronno’s which is very impressive indeed…where is yours. Surely you calling someone out to show there work can reciprocate when asked to.
p.12 #15 · Z8 extremely unreliable/inconsistent AF in mildly low light
1bwana1 wrote:
Nice work. I love the Capri, Positano, and Amalfi Coast images and video. One of my Wife and my favorite Summer places when on our annual family trip to Italy.
p.12 #16 · Z8 extremely unreliable/inconsistent AF in mildly low light
Yeh, I got a lot posted here as well…but where’s your website. I’ve seen Ronno’s which is very impressive indeed…where is yours. Surely you calling someone out to show there work can reciprocate when asked to.
Over the years I have seen Sung's work. There is no doubt he is a competent professional. No sense turning this into a best photographer contest. Nothing valuable to be gained doing that.
But for your reference here is a link to his website. Some beautiful work there too.
p.12 #17 · Z8 extremely unreliable/inconsistent AF in mildly low light
Over the years I have seen Sung's work. There is no doubt he is a competent professional. No sense turning this into a best photographer contest. Nothing valuable to be gained doing that.
But for your reference here is a link to his website. Some beautiful work there too.
I understand…but it irks me when someone calls out a member to display their work in order to validate their opinion on things. This community is not about how long one’s measuring stick is…everyone here can share their own views or opinions without having to meet some status level.
p.12 #19 · Z8 extremely unreliable/inconsistent AF in mildly low light
chez wrote:
Yeh, I got a lot posted here as well…but where’s your website. I’ve seen Ronno’s which is very impressive indeed…where is yours. Surely you calling someone out to show there work can reciprocate when asked to.
p.12 #20 · Z8 extremely unreliable/inconsistent AF in mildly low light
sungphoto wrote:
Google me or find me on instagram or LinkedIn
Not interested. See my post to ibiwana1. If you call someone out…be prepared to be called out as well. Like I said, FM is for everyone…not just one’s that think they are elite.
